The use of personal computing devices by consumers is growing. The number of personal computing devices has grown substantially in both the type and number. To cope with increasingly busy modern lifestyles, individuals are increasingly using personal computing devices running sophisticated e-mail and personal information manager (PIM) computer programs, to assist them organise their lives. These computer programs run on personal computers in fixed locations and on mobile devices.
Mobile devices include cellular phones that now have enough memory and processing power to store contact information, text message, surf the Web, and picture/video messaging. Personal computers are no longer relegated to just desktop or notebook computers, increasingly they are being miniaturized to more closely resemble traditional mobile devices. For example, small hand-held devices such as personal digital assistants (PDA) have evolved into powerful devices, such as Palm Pilot and Pocket PC, and these are now being integrated with mobile phones to form hybrid mobile phone/pocket PC mobile devices.
Many users, in their enthusiasm to embrace new technology, find it difficult and time consuming to enter information on their different personal computing devices For example, many of today's cell phones have a diary feature which users may not use often due to the number of steps necessary to enter appointment information. To overcome this problem, some mobile devices have unique interfaces such as writing pads or miniature keyboards to facilitate recording information and updating calendars, phone lists and other features of mobile devices. Many users also use desk top or PC based organizer software such as Microsoft's personal computer-based “Outlook” and regularly use other software in their day to day activities but are unable to always have access to that desk top computer at all times.
In response to these problems, many users make use of synchronization computer programs or network-based services to periodically replicate data between disparate information stores. One example of this involves transferring data directly between Microsoft's personal computer-based “Outlook” and pocket PC-based “Pocket Outlook” e-mail applications via direct cable/wireless local area connection between the devices. Other systems maintain a single personal calendar data store and neglect the rest. For example, users may keep their e-mail program's personal calendar updated but not their mobile device's personal calendar program. For senior executives or business owners, often the later approach is used in conjunction with the services of a secretary or personal assistant, with the appropriate rights and permissions to access and make changes to the user's e-mail program's information and data.
One solution is described in WO 01/74023 to Sun Microsystems Inc. It describes a system in which a mobile device is registered with a server and the user of that mobile device transmits commands to the server in a particular data format for remotely managing and/or accessing information stored on a network device. Such a data format can often be difficult and time-consuming for a consumer to adopt.